I was browsing the Living section on Huffington Post and came across this: Spiritual Lessons From Wine And Baguettes. How could I bypass so tasty a title? Especially as today is Bastille Day – the French national holiday? And, I confess, I have allowed myself a bit of both this summer – good wine and […]
Healthy or Unhealthy? Cultural Commentary: A Conversation
“Why should my tax dollars pay for your medical care?” she says. Her blue eyes are piercing against her softly tanned skin. Her eyebrows are raised, and her lips pursed in annoyance. At first I think she’s kidding. But she’s not. She is about thirty, and we know each other casually. She’s healthy, single, in […]
Big Bucks For Kids, Statistical Confusion?
I’ve commented previously on the cost of raising a child. At the time I did, the figures I used referenced newly released 2010 data, estimating $222,360 per child, on average (for middle income families), up to age 18. But this morning I took a look at another reference to the same originating document which is […]
All You Need is “Love, Love, Love”…
When I read about Paul McCartney’s engagement, I shook my head. The article referenced is focused on the fact that there is no pre-nup, and how British and American views differ on that score. And no, Sir Paul hasn’t taken the plunge as many times as the glittering Elizabeth Taylor for example, whose multiple marriages […]
Strange Sightings: Men Over 50 Wearing Berets
Smallville, USA, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, July 4th. In what is thought to be an emerging fashion statement (or symptom of a rare disease), news sources in Smallville, USA report sightings of middle-aged men in berets. Moving quickly through crowds of holiday revelers, smartly cycling men eluded authorities who continue to search for these furtive figures […]
Kids Waving the Flag on the 4th? Be Careful Out There!
Apparently, all Americans over the age of 45 are Republicans. What! You didn’t get the memo? But there’s data! Data and a bit of extrapolation on my part. Now tell me. Are you over 45 years old? You must be a Republican, right? And are you planning on taking your children to a parade tomorrow? […]
He Says, She Says: Why Men and Women Communicate Differently
I was watching her face intently as she asked questions. I listened as he offered responses in a kind and measured fashion. She was expressing emotions. Her feelings were revealed in words, in the tilt of her head downward, and the sadness in her eyes. He is her son; they share a long history and […]
Women (And What We Care About)
I’ve always been of two minds when it comes to segregating the concerns of women from men – be it a matter of what we read, what we watch, what we purchase, or anything else. It’s not a simple subject; men and women are different. Biologically. Psychologically. In the ways we’re socialized. And so – […]
How To Do Everything Better (Maybe)
Curiosity. Maybe it did kill the cat. Personally, I never bought it. As far as I’m concerned, curiosity motors exploration, discovery, mischief-making, the Internet of course – and more industries than I can possibly enumerate. Beyond curiosity, “How to” has become something we ask routinely, expecting – and frequently receiving – virtually immediate answers. In […]
Eighth Wonder
No. Definitely not a pyramid. (I would’ve heard the dragging of stone and moaning of exertion.) Couldn’t be the Colosseum. (Insufficient ceiling height.) The Taj Mahal? (No reflecting pool.) I was ticking off the list of wonders in my head, trying to recollect each and every one in its splendor and significance. Seven, right? Surely, […]